Dining Guide

When thinking of the French Quarter in New Orleans, good times, great music and the best food around come to mind. And with Mardi Gras right around the corner, what better time to visit Southeast Texas’ own little slice of the Big Easy right off I-10 East in Vidor — French Quarter Bar & Grill at 500 South St.?

When Mike Mak’s father, S.K., and mother, Nancy, emigrated from Hong Kong to the United States, the couple was looking for the perfect city to start a new restaurant. After living in Chicago for a short time, S.K. hoped to find some place with a little more temperate climate.

In Southeast Texas, there is no shortage of options to satisfy a salsa craving if you have a hankering for Mexican food. Carlito’s Mexican Restaurant, located at 890 Amarillo St. and facing College Street, is one of Beaumont’s best options for a quick, filling lunch at a great price — and has been for two decades.

Located in an historic building in Beaumont’s Old Town, The Fig Pig is a unique establishment that experiments with menu items to create savory dishes designed to satisfy your palate while remaining as local, seasonal and gluten-free as possible.

The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is to meat aficionados what Jazz Fest is to music lovers. It was a cool Sunday morning in Austin and smoke was in the air — as was the anticipation of eating some of the best barbecue on the planet. Those lucky enough to get VIP passes were let in an hour early to sample from their choice of the 24 joints that were serving up small portions of their award winning que.

Veteran Beaumont firefighter James Gillard said he never had any intention of running his own restaurant. After all, James, who has been a fireman with Beaumont Fire and Rescue for more than 23 years, says working as an engineer for Station 14 keeps him busy enough. That all changed, however, the first time he tasted a Firehouse Sub.

If you’re looking for a real taste of Italy, it doesn’t get much more authentic than Frankie’s Italian Grill. The atmosphere alone gives the impression of taking a vacation, with Italian décor, low lighting, a close, intimate setting, and drawn blinds to block the distractions of the outside world.

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.